Steve Ellner's Blog on Venezuela, Latin America and Beyond

The centralization of ownership of the private media in the United States and elsewhere has become increasingly pronounced, at the same time that its reporting has become increasingly one-sided and monolithic. My blog seeks to expose this lack of objectivity and present alternative ideas that point in the direction of much-needed fundamental change.

Monday, April 13, 2015

HILLARY CLINTON A POPULIST? SHE'LL END UP ON THE CENTER

HILLARY CLINTON WENT RIGHT, NOW GOES
LEFT AND WILL THEN GO BACK TO CENTER. That’s what the Democratic presidential
candidates always do. After securing promises for hundreds of millions, if not
billions, of dollars of corporate donations, they begin their campaign with
populist rhetoric. That’s what Hillary is doing now, just as her husband did
back in 1992, like Al Gore did in 2000, like Kerry did in 2004 and Obama in
2008. In all these cases the Democratic candidates began on the left in order
to preempt the party’s left-wing and by the end of the campaign ended in the
center where they stayed put. See this lively debate on “Democracy Now” between
two progressive commentators who support Hillary versus Bob Scheer and Seattle
Councilwoman Kshama Sawant (member of the Socialist Alternative). Scheer and
Sawant point out that even though Hillary is coming on as somewhat of a
populist, she refrains from supporting the $15 minimum wage that Sawant pushed
through in Seattle, perhaps because of donations she is receiving from
Walmart’s Walton family. Scheer points out that she viciously attacked Edward
Snowden while she herself kept her own emails private, knowing full well who would
have access to them. She also in the 90s helped gut the Aid to Dependent
Children program, which was a pillar of the U.S. welfare system. In any case,
the debate was lively and worth listening to: http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/progressives_debate_hillary_clinton_candidacy_debate_democracy_now_20150414

About Me

Steve Ellner has taught economic history at the Universidad de Oriente in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela since 1977. He is the author of numerous books and journal and magazine articles on Venezuela history and politics. He frequently lectures on Venezuela and Latin American political developments in the U.S. and elsewhere. He received his Ph.D. in Latin American history at the University of New Mexico in 1980.